


Queen of Lost Hope

by RangerSylv32



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, Warcraft III, World of Warcraft
Genre: :Misunderstood Banshee, AU, Adventure, Alliance and the Horde, Angst and Feels, Banshee Sylvanas Windrunner, Depression, Eventual Romance, F/F, First few years as Queen of the Forsaken, Forsaken Beginnings, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Lament of the Highborne, Lonely Sylvanas, Past Character Death, Sylvanas and her Dark Rangers, Tragedy, Trauma, Uneasy Allies, Varimathras - Freeform, enemies everywhere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:55:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29478792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RangerSylv32/pseuds/RangerSylv32
Summary: Sylvanas Windrunner has only recently wrested control of the undercity from the scourge, dread lords, and the humans. She is faced with challenges that seek to overwhelm her when she discovers that she has enemies everywhere and supposed allies turn their backs on her and her new people. Will she overcome this and become a voice for the downtrodden or will she falter and give in to the sadness and anger that threatens to consume her?Story is set before classic and after WC3, it will have time skips depending on how long I want this story to be.
Relationships: Dark Ranger Velonara/Sylvanas Windrunner, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Pained/Jaina Proudmoore
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	Queen of Lost Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Sylvanas is now banshee queen, what will she do now?

Rain poured onto the ruined stone steps of Lordaeron Keep, and the surrounding areas. It did little to brighten any spirit that was lingering there and certainly did not fill the new denizens with hope of a bright and beautiful future, no they faced uncertainty. A group of undead civilians stood in the ruined courtyard looking up to their new leader who stood tall and imposing atop the wall. They had all been brought inside the enclosure of the keep after several had gone missing or turned up dead; permanently. They needed to decide what to do next as they were all being picked off one by one, though they had broken free of the Lich King's grasp they felt caged again and looked to their liberator, their Queen, and protector for guidance. The elf was standing with her bow drawn, her ears twitched at the rain hitting them and at any sound she might catch, it was now up to her to look after these...forsaken. That was what she had decided because they had been abandoned and pushed aside, now they were hunted, simply for existing. The Scarlet Crusade had let themselves known shortly after she took over the keep and had caused her to set up a perimeter, she did not like caging her new people but she did not know what else to do. 

"My Lady, might I suggest the catacombs below? We can have a token force up here but I think the ones who cannot fight should go below," Ranger Captain Ariel suggested in a hushed tone, she and a few other rangers had gone deep into the keep to find several tunnels leading to what looked like an underground city or atleast it could be. "There are a few areas that are not safe yet but, I think that would solve our problems for the time being."

Sylvanas Windrunner looked at her captain and silently nodded, "Make sure to clear any rubble and take some abominations with you." She looked out at the vast expanse of forest and gloom, _was it really to be this bleak all the time?_ She asked inwardly. She looked away when Ariel left her side and she was left alone with her thoughts again, she saw Ranger Velanora and Alina in the distance making their rounds. She had instructed the rangers to familiarise themselves with their surroundings as they would have done in life if they had been ordered to create a high elven outpost, except this was not an outpost and they were hardly high elves anymore. Sylvanas brought a hand to the wound under her leather armour, the pain was renewed and her other hand shook ever so slightly. _I am free of you, you monster!_ She could hear just an echo of his taunts again in her head, _what if I fail to protect these people as I did my own? That is all I am just a---_

"Shindu Fallah Na!" A shout interrupted her thoughts, she spun around and almost slipped on the slick stone under her feet. She ran to the commotion and her rangers cries... _Shindu Fallah Na...no...not again! I will not let this happen!_ She felt her banshee form take over as she agonised over losing more of her own and more of her new people. There was a small group of Scarlet Crusade soldiers trying to break through the makeshift gates Sylvanas had erected, two of her rangers were fighting them off. "Monsters!" "Abominations!" "You should all be destroyed!" They each said in turn and each word hit like an arrow in Sylvanas's already wounded unbeating heart. She landed in front of them and let out an angry cry which stunned a few and scared away the rest, "Leave us be! or next time you will not be standing long!" She shouted and when the ones she had stunned tried to advance she screamed again, louder and more menacing. They did not move after that and the remaining soldiers yelled back, "you have proved our point witch, it is you who must leave this place, Lordaeron is ours by right!"

"They also belong to your former people, do they not have rights?" She demands, brandishing her bow. She stood tall and had a few of her rangers at her flank also ready to fire if she gave the command.

"They are not people anymore!" One of the soldiers yelled.

Sylvanas looked at small forsaken teenager who had been helping fix the wall, she looked hurt by the man's words. Sylvanas pointed to the keep, "you will be safe, go." The girl left and had she lived she would have been crying.

"They have minds still and are free from Arthas's grasp, it was not their choosing, you must understand!" Sylvanas raged, why cant they understand? She was angry and baffled by this whole situation.

"Be that as it may, they are still abominations and by the light! We will take back our city and cleanse it of your---" Sylvanas had enough and had signalled for arrows to be fired. They fell like the rain from the sky, killing the remaining soldiers. She looked to her forsaken, to her rangers and spoke clearly and loud, she needed to rally them some how, even if she herself felt utterly hopeless and pointless. 

"Listen to me! You are not monsters! We. Are. Not. Monsters.! We are the Forsaken and we will stand strong, we broke free of Arthas, the dread lords, and the humans that once dwelt here. We will show them and any other enemy that we are not to be trifled with and walked over, will you still follow me?" She suddenly asked mid speech, "I will always watch over and protect you, know that you can leave anytime and forge your own destiny and I will not stop you. You can also stay with me as we strive to make something out of the cruel hand that fate dealt us. I will not forsake you, afterall I am one of you now and I will not fail you." She said almost quietly, she dreaded the day she would break that promise if it came.

"We face uncertainty but we can face it together and slaughter anyone who stands in our way, I know it looks bleak right now and I do have a plan. My rangers have found some catacombs, an undercity, we can stay there while still maintaining a presence above ground. There are some towns near by and farmhouses, you can all do as you did in life if you so choose." She adds when she sees the questioning looks on their faces.

"What of the Alliance? I have family in Stormwind," A forsaken woman asked.

"Once we get our feet on the ground I will send emissaries, but you must be patient and expect the worse, they might treat you as the scarlet crusade does; with hatred." Sylvanas warned, she had already thought of who she would go to for allies but was cautious. She did not want to get her hopes up if the alliance would turn their backs on her like she was fearing they would.

"Thank you for answering my question," the woman replied with a nod, she wanted to be with her family but would wait, currently it was not safe.

Sylvanas allowed a small smile at the woman, "Please be patient with me, I am your new queen yes, but like you I need to find my footing. I am pleased I do so with you, so I ask again, will you stay? even if we have enemies at our door?"

The forsaken gathered nodded and answered with shouts of "For the Dark Lady! and Victory for the Forsaken." No doubt some would choose to leave but would not last long, that dissuaded any others that were on the fence. The ones that chose to follow her were wanting the same things she did and they genuinely appreciated that someone was going to support them and not treat them like monsters.

The gathering of forsaken dispersed and Sylvanas was left alone with her rangers, Cyndia and Lenara were standing close enough to hold her hands should she need to. "Gather the other rangers, I want to set up new patrols and...I..." Sylvanas started to shake a little, just what was she getting into here? Was she right to keep these forsaken in this place? What happened if she did fail them? She felt two pairs of arms wrap around her and looked as both women hugged her, "What if I fail again?" 

"You won't my Queen, we believe in you, you have not lead us astray," Lenara said in her echoed and soothing tone. 

"We are always here for you, My Lady...My General..." Cyndia still called her that even though the title was no more.

The three elves stood in the rain and huddled together, their closeness and shared suffering brought a little comfort in the uncertain future they faced. After a few more minutes of silence and holding each other the two rangers left to carry out their orders and Sylvanas was left alone yet again. She felt more determined to succeed and bolster her new people and existence, she and her forsaken would not be cast aside or picked off, they would stand a fight. 

\----------

A few days later Sylvanas and Dark Ranger Velanora were overseeing some developments in the new undercity, they had several builders already getting to work and civilians carving out their new home. "So...where should we put the mage district?" The banshee queen asked looking over the schematics.

"I was thinking over there," Velanora pointed to the light purple colouring of the schematics, "Lenara coloured this in as she thought it would be more organised and purple reminded her of the Kirin Tor and Dalaran."

"She still grieves?" Sylvanas asked, she knew of the elven mage that had captured her youngest ranger's heart and then later died during Arthas's attack.

"A little, she keeps busy and this was one of the things she did, she thought it would help." Velanora lowered her gaze to the schematics, they were written in half thalassian and half common. Some was hastily written and hard to read but Sylvanas got the meaning behind them, "I approve of the colouring and places she laid out, but please have Kalira do the writing."

Velanora nodded and giggled, Lenara's writing was not as good as her beautiful paintings. She strode to the builders and gave a few instructions while sylvanas looked over reports. She frowned when she saw deathstalker reports of Scarlet Crusade camps close to her borders, feral worgen also closing in, she felt that they were just in a cage waiting to be killed. She held back such thoughts and spoke with her scouts about keeping an eye out, when they asked what to do she merely suggested they wait before attacking as her attention was on building her new city.

They nodded and soon headed back out to the surface, she looked out at what had been built or was being built, she could see the makings of a central column where ramps and a bank could be. She also saw a small alcove where a barber could...wait...what do I need a barber for? She asked herself, then thought of the possible allies she could get, they would visit no doubt. She also knew some forsaken wanted a haircut even if their hair would not grow anymore, she smiled at that; somethings they could not let go of. She watched as a few other forsaken stared forlornly at the river that flowed through their new home, she walked over to them in an effort to comfort or try to anyway. "I know this is different and you miss your family but you might have to put them behind you now."

"How? They might still be out there, my queen," The woman said, "my boys will never know what happened and think I am some kind of..." She trailed off and looked down.

"All the more reason to let them go and focus on your life---er---unlife here, I do not have much family left either, most are dead. I must move forward now even if I keep looking back."

The forsaken woman looked up at her, her imploring yellowish eyes were reaching the banshee's red gaze. "I am sorry my Queen."

"Do not apologise, you have done nothing. I understand you wish to see your family, I said I would allow it at some point if we can get allies. Why not put your attentions elsewhere? What were you in life?"

"I was a tailor, my lady," the woman replied, she held up her basket full of sewing supplies she had found in her old home that was since destroyed.

"Then..,.I suggest you find a space that you can set up shop, put your skills to good use," Sylvanas sounded more encouraging to the saddened woman this time and nodded, "Oh thank you my lady."

"No need to thank me now go on," Sylvanas pointed in the direction of corridor that would lead to the shops, she found she was giving this conversation alot lately as many felt lost. She understood why and wanted to help them find their way again, they would find their way. Sylvanas straightened up and went back to her work, the forsaken would rise and take this forced second chance at existing with all their might and she would be damned if anyone would ruin it.

**Author's Note:**

> Next time: Allies and Enemies


End file.
